Falling Behind

April 8, 1985

MEXICO CITY — Mexico has about 7,000 scientists. The director of the National Science and Technology Council: The nation needs five times that number. In an interview in El Nacional newspaper, Hector Mayagoitia Dominguez called Mexico's number of scientists ''a minuscule figure, far below that of other countries.'' He said 35,000 scientists, or five for every 10,000 people, are needed. Council's action: More scholarships have been awarded.